Where You Are Read Free Page A

hoping for,” Graham says, his thumb moving hypnotically over the back of my hand. “Should I plan to follow you home and challenge some guy to a duel?” In his eyes, I see the teasing and the sincerity behind his words. “I’ve never been a horribly possessive guy, Emma, and I know this is all sudden and unforeseen for both of us. But watching you with Reid was almost more than I could take. I don’t think my heart can tolerate sharing you again. You’re free to make your own decision, of course. But I have to be allowed to make mine, too.”
    I hate the thought of hurting Marcus. He’s been patient, never grilling me about my well-known failed liaison with Reid Alexander. When I came back home after the School Pride photo shoot last month, Marcus maintained his cheerful disposition while I pulled myself through a delayed depression over the whole Reid debacle and came to grips with the fact that I still cared for Graham and felt his absence, though whatever was between us in Austin was long gone.
    Except now, suddenly, it’s not gone. And Graham is sitting here next to me, waiting for me to tell him I want him.
    “I have been seeing someone, but it’s not… this .” I swallow, hard, hoping he’ll give me the time to be compassionate. “I’ll end it when I get back home.” When he exhales, I realize he was holding his breath. “But… I did promise to go to his prom next weekend.”
    His lips quirk and he watches me closely. “Should I be worried?”
    I shake my head slightly. “No.”
    His forearm flexes as he brings our interlaced hands up, rotating his arm and kissing the back of my hand. “Then I guess there’s no reason to begrudge some poor guy his prom date.”
    The knot of girls across the car sighs audibly, and I think one of them just took our picture with her phone. It’s possible that they know who we are. School Pride doesn’t come out until next month, though the media blitz has begun. Or maybe they’re just starry-eyed girls, and the two of us tangled up in each other on the subway is classic NYC romantic—which makes me think of Emily. I’m going to have a lot to tell her when I get home.
    “Are you , you know, seeing anyone?”
    He shakes his head, his dark eyes intense despite the half-smile on his lips. “I passed the point of being willing to settle a long time ago. If I’m not fiercely inclined, I don’t bother.”
    I press my lips together, but they kick up on one side. It isn’t really fair, that I’m happy to have no competition for his attention while he trusts me to go home, go to prom with some faceless boy and then kick him to the curb.
    The preteens reach their stop, and the noise escalates to something resembling the running of the bulls as the chaperones attempt to make sure every single one of them makes it off the subway before it pulls away. It’s so quiet once they exit that I can hear my own breathing.
    Graham leans closer. “How is it that I’ve survived seeing you only once in the past five months, and now the thought of being separated from you for four months seems insane?”
    I lean my cheek onto his shoulder, caught up in his penetrating gaze. “The premiere is next month. My agent says there’ll be TV and radio talk show appearances before then, probably starting next week.”
    He grimaces. “Emma, I’m not the star of School Pride —you and Reid are. I’ll be at the premiere, of course, but most of those other appearances will just be the two of you.”
    For some reason, I’d not considered this possibility. “Huh,” I say, and Graham chuckles.

 
    Chapter 2
    GRAHAM
    Telling her I’m not possessive isn’t technically a lie… but it’s not completely true, either, particularly where Reid Alexander is concerned. After watching how he managed to win Emma’s trust last fall—even if he blew it shortly thereafter—I have a grudging respect for his ability to play charming. The truth is, he is charming. That part of his persona isn’t